How to Use provoke in a Sentence

provoke

verb
  • He just says those things because he's trying to provoke you.
  • His remarks provoked both tears and laughter.
  • The animal will not attack unless it is provoked.
  • But these tears are earned, not provoked.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Your goal is to make a point, not to provoke.
    — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Your goal is to make a point, not provoke.
    — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Your goal is to make a point, not provoke.
    — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Your goal is to make a point, not provoke.
    — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Your goal is to make a point, not provoke.
    — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Do not provoke or harass a shark, even a small one.
    — ABC News, 26 May 2026
  • This provokes the ire of Tedros, who slaps him hard across the face.
    — Katcy Stephan, Variety, 18 June 2023
  • And for those who are better off, that might just provoke a bit of guilt.
    — Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 3 June 2021
  • Do your best to avoid being caught up in his attempts to provoke you.
    — Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Maybe he was provoked by the color of the girl’s orange skirt?
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2025
  • His art form is chaos, and the unrestrained fear that chaos can provoke.
    — The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Stop in for one-of-a-kind pieces designed to provoke all the senses.
    — Hannah Morrill, Marie Claire, 8 Mar. 2021
  • Yep, that’s a good reason to provoke a work stoppage.
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
  • Mace clearly knows how to please—and provoke—people on both sides of the aisle.
    — Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022
  • Think of it this way—the purpose of video content is to provoke, evoke and poke.
    — Jane Hanson, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
  • Union officials said the teen provoked the clash.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
  • We certainly have been provoked on this.
    — ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
  • There was no depth to it, no hint of recognition of the horror that had provoked it.
    — Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
  • My theory is that this is the moment your friends are trying to provoke.
    — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2021
  • This has provoked inevitable eye-rolling about nepotism, but Mann is a comedic star in her own right.
    — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Heavy winds that provoke a marine gale warning are the bane of all fishermen.
    — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 26 June 2021
  • Yet her death helped to provoke a war that helped usher in a revolution.
    — Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
  • Pushing the people in your domestic sphere to bend to your will could provoke them to rebel.
    — Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2022
  • The story repeated to those in mourning may not provoke a smile.
    — George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022
  • She was conflicted about what to do - whether to cut it off or continue so as not to provoke him.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023
  • And didn’t the rioters provoke all of this by setting Paris aflame?
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provoke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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